Description

In a village of 350 inhabitants in the lake district of Ostrobothnia, a house for an artist’s family including a separate studio and an exhibition hall for a small collection of vintage cars has been built, all to a high ecological standard. Riihi house stands on the top of a flat slope at the edge of a 6000 m² site and overlooks a shallow hollow in the landscape with farmland, a small copse of woodland and a stream. The traditional structure of Finnish farms, where four sides enclose an inner courtyard, the choice of wood as the primary building material and the views of the landscape were the primary aspects that determined the design. The architect Anssi Lassila arranged the buildings in such a way that the L-shaped residential building with its long side (kitchen, living room and parents’ rooms) and the artist’s studio, an abstract barn-like building with an almost completely glazed gable, have a direct view of the expansive landscape to the east. The two-storey studio shields the inner courtyard to the south and the south wing of the house with the entrance area and children’s rooms from the cold north wind and creates a comfortable microclimate. Trees in the inner courtyard will with time provide shade from the sun during the hot summers. The hobby building to the west, which incorporates an entrance driveway, screens the ensemble from the nearby road.

For the clients, it was very important to create a low-energy house using healthy and recyclable building materials and to be sustainable in both the construction and the operation of the buildings. Wood was used for the entire construction, for the facades and interior walls, the floors outside (three verandas) and in the bedrooms as well as for the fitted kitchen. Even the insulation material is made of compressed softwood and the windproof membrane of paper. The courtyard is paved with recycled paving stones and the house and the studio are heated by a total of four storage heaters, to ensure a constant supply of hot water and comfortable living and working interiors. All electricity requirements are covered by energy generated by solar cells. Only in the choice of untreated aluminium as a roofing material did the architect compromise on the principle of sustainable construction. In terms of design, however, the roof landscape corresponds well with the untreated spruce wood slats that face the actual weather facades and will gradually acquire a silver-grey patina over the years. The exterior sheathing is likewise made of spruce, as are the interior walls and the ceiling cladding – in this case of radially sawn boards treated with soap to create light and breathable room surfaces.

Each of the three buildings has its own specific character. In the hobby building, simple wooden walls and a concrete screed floor form a neutral background for the vintage cars. In the two-storey artist’s studio with its gallery level, the ceiling and wall panelling as well as the screed floor have been painted white, creating a cool backdrop that allows the artist’s large-format paintings to take centre stage. The house, on the other hand, has a warm, cosy atmosphere. The undisputed centre of family life is the living room with the adjoining spacious kitchen. A large concrete fireplace, which can be used from two sides, serves as a room divider and focal point. A steep samba stair leads up to a gallery that affords expansive views of the landscape. The warm tone of the spruce wood, the coloured screed floor as well as the daylight that floods in through the large window openings determine the spatial character of this communal zone. A surrounding veranda, which can be fully closed-off with glass panes, serves as a buffer space in front of the kitchen and the living room. It provides a semi-outdoor space sheltered from the elements, not just in summer but also in the long transitional phases between the seasons. Two further open verandas are located at the entrance area and in front of the parents’ rooms. To the west of the kitchen are the children’s rooms, with two bedrooms and a guest room, which is also used by the grandparents. Ash wood floors have been laid in all bedrooms. Although economical in ecological terms, the Riihi House was anything but cheap to build, with construction costs totalling around one million euros.

Originally published in Bauwelt 29.2015, pp. 26-29, abridged and edited for Building Types online, translated by Julian Reisenberger

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